Emergency
by Blue Eyes Arch Angel
Summary: When rumours spread about Lola cheating on Johnny again,Vance watches as his friend break down over it all


~_I've seen love die, way too many times_

_W_hen it deserved to be alive~

~Vance POV~

Life is good with the greasers. Me and Lefty got new bikes just yesterday, what beauties! Speed of a cheetah and the cool factor of, well, probably my hair. I gotta test it, just gotta. Gotta take a ride with guys. Screw class, my bike deserves my attention, not some damn textbook. Most of them are here now, except…

"Where the hell's Johnny man?"

"Calm your tits Vance, he'll be here soon" Peanut mutters, stroking the handle of his bike "then I get to take my beauty for a spin"

"She won't be the only beauty taken for a spin"

Speaingk of the devil, Johnny casually saunters over, face plastered with a trademark smirk. What's this bastard been up to? Stalk up to him and look up into his face (damn, why is he so tall?)

"Where've you been Johnny-boy?" I ask, complete with a stroke of my hair (hope he notices I've restyled it)

"Nice hair Vance, but yeah I've 'been' with Lola, if you catch my drift" Johnny winks and laughs.

Peanut roars in laughter and drapes his arm round Johnny's back, almost pulling him to the floor.

"Aw come on man, too much info!"

"So we gonna ride or what?" Lefty pitches in. Johnny pulls himself from Peanut's grasp and over towards his own bike.

"Yeah, sure thing, see you gotta new bike Vance"

"Sure 'ave"

"Cool, but can't ride for long, takin' Lola out for dinner tonight"

"Where?"

"That fancy new Italian place near the comic shop, Lola's choice of course, I'm paying"

"Niiiice"

Johnny chuckles and leaps onto his bike, face smug, then revs up the engine and signals for the rest of us. The guy's on top of the world today. He sure loves that girl. Lola's the best thing that ever happened to him. Hope it keeps up; Johnny in a good mood means more respect for the greasers after all.

* * *

Johnny's late today. And I mean LATE. Sure he can be about five or ten minutes when he's with Lola but this is just stupid. I'm just itching to get on the roads, seriously so much so that my gloved hands are tapping my bike handles.

"Where the hell is Johnny?" I finally give and ask.

"You ask that everyday Vance"

"Yeah, but he ain't this late most of the time"

Lefty motions for us to lean closer. He whispers what he has to say.

"Well, I heard his girl Lola's been cheating on him with some townie. Course, it's just rumours but you know how she is, and how Johnny is, I bet he's probably trying to find her now to see it it's true…"

"It aint"

We snap round the find Johnny leant against the wall, arms folded but fists clenched.

"That rumour? It aint true"

He don't sound like he believes himself.

"How'd you know?"

That was stupid of me. Johnny's eyes blaze. He unfolds his arms and storm over, leaving over me, eyes locked.

"I just know, okay? Lola wouldn't do nothing like that. I love her and she loves me" he growls, leaning closer and closer, fists clenching harder. Shit, he's scary. I just nod my head and he pulls away.

"You actually asked her?" Lefty asks. Johnny stares at him, but Lefty stares back defiantly. The staring match ensues for god knows how long until Lefty caves.

"Fine probably, you're probably right" he sighs "come on let's right"

Johnny perks up and grabs his own bike. Glad that's over.

I still don't know whether to believe him about the rumour though.

* * *

Johnny's in a much better mood than he was yesterday. Couldn't be bothered with chemistry today so the lot of us are just hanging behind the gym. Peanut brought some fags. I aint smoking, never did after the preppies tried to burn my hair, but the rest of us are. Life's good today. Especially for Johnny; something's got his spirits high today.

"What's with the smirk Johnny boy?" I finally ask.

"I got a date with Lola again today, gonna make it romantic this time, got roses and everything" he says and surprisingly pulls out a huge bunch of red roses from the bag of his bike.

"Like em'?"

"They looks just like the ones Jimmy gave Vance when they made out"

"HEY!"

"Cool it bi-boy"

"I think you'd all better cool it"

That last voice belonged to none other than Jimmy Hopkins. The ginger kid is standing not too far away, with some slips of paper in his hands. They kinda look like pictures. Whatever the case he's trespassing on our turf so we gotta teach him a lesson. The guys drop their fags and crunch them of the floor. We all advance on Jimmy but, being Jimmy, doesn't react.

"Just drop the tough guy act okay, I gotta speak to Johnny" he says. Johnny pushes to the front of us and stands face to face with the ginger.

"Whadda you want kid?"

Jimmy sighs.

"Look, I've been sent to see you by Mandy, wanted me to tell you something because she couldn't bear it anymore"

"Tell me what?" Johnny asks, more persistently.

"Those rumours about Lola? They're true. She's been cheating on you"

There's total silence, for I don't know, five minutes? Johnny's face never changes, but he drops the red roses he was holding and keeps his eyes on Hopkins. Finally he laughs, low and quietly.

"That's real funny Hopkins, what, is Mandy trying to pull something here? Get me angry again and send me back to the asylum? Nice try"

"It's true"

"No it's NOT!" He growls, grabbing Hopkin's by the collar. The other guys are egging him on but something seems amiss. I think he aint lying. Hopkins manages to free himself from Johnny's grasp but doesn't leave.

"Fine, but I have photographic evidence. It's all true"

I didn't think Johnny would actually takes the photos but in a flash he tears them straight from Hopkin's grasp and takes a good long look. The rest of stand back as he studies them. The expression on his face changes, eyebrows lowering, that same blaze from yesterday returning. After a minute he just drops the photos and walks back to his bike, revs it up and drives right through the group of us (like he doesn't even care if we get hurt) and then straight over the red roses too. None of us know what to say, except-

"What the heck was in those photos anyway?"

"Take a look for yourself" Hopkins says, handing the photos over to me. I take them and study them.

They all have Lola in them, making out half naked with some townie guy. But something isn't right. I look at bit closer at Lola herself and notice a small bump in her stomach.

A baby bump.

* * *

No-one's seen Johnny for a week. After Johnny drove off after seeing those shocking photos he disappeared totally. Hasn't turned up for school, hasn't been seen in town. A search party has been at it for the last few days but nothing's come up. The rest of the greasers have already given up. None of us really talk much now; we just think about Johnny. What if he's gone and done something stupid? What…what if he…committed suicide? He's just crazy enough to do it, damn it Johnny…

He's not the only one who's not around though. Lola hasn't turned up to school either, but rumour has it she ran away with the townie guy that got her knocked up. Good riddance I say; no-one wants to see that slut anymore. It's her damn fault that Johnny's missing! It's her fault he's gone, her fault, her fault, her fault…

The buzz of my phone breaks me out my hate filled trance. It couldn't be any of the guys, they're all here, so…

A text reads

_I'm in the tenements. I need someone to talk to Vance. Get here quick. Really your new bike. Please. I need someone right now. Please._

_Johnny_

I read it again. And again. It takes a while to sink in.

He's alive? JOHNNY'S ALIVE? And he's still in town! I can't believe it! I thought he was gone! I-

Shit. He said 'get here quick'. I'd better go. I launch out of my chair, out the cafeteria and stream down the corridors. I can't stop. Won't stop. Not for my pal Johnny. The draft from running tangles my hair but I barely even notice. I make it out of the school. The school gates and my bike are just in reach, only just-

BANG!

My head cracks on the paved paths as a muscular prefect wraps around my legs. No! I'm wasting time! But I can't get free, he's too big…

Suddenly a small ball flings out of nowhere and square in the prefects face. The man cries out in pain and his hands fly to his bruising face. A sharp look up and I discover that my saviour is Jimmy Hopkins again. There's no time for thanks so I just nod and run off. He'll probably ask for a kiss or something later. I finally reach my bike, turn on the engine and ride off in the direction of the city.

* * *

By dodging traffic and taking the short routes I reach the tenements in a mere ten minutes. I little longer than I'd have wanted but I'm here all the same.

It's gonna be okay Johnny. I promise.

I shuffle around for the key in my pocket and have difficulty opening the door with my shaking hands, but I succeed all the same. Unfortunately once I walk in it seems Johnny has left the lights off. Great.

"Johnny?" I call out, hoping to get response. No reply.

"Johnny? It's me Vance!"

No response.

"I came like you wanted, you okay man?"

No response.

"Johnny?"

No response.

"Okay man, you're starting to creep me out, you okay?"

No response. My fingers finally slide over the light switch so I flick the lights on. I wish I hadn't.

Johnny's sitting on the couch, body sort of in an upright position but he's kind of slouched. The sides and top of the couch are stained red, all dripping from the side of Johnny's head. I can't see his eyes but tear stains are clear on his denim jeans. The air is thick with the pungent stench of blood. In his left hand there's a gun. In his right there's a picture of Lola.

I wasn't fast enough.

I didn't try hard enough. I didn't try. Without thinking I remove the gun from Johnny's hand and curl his fingers over the image of Lola. I'm as bad as her.

"I'm sorry Johnny, I'm such a horrible friend. I wasn't fast enough"

I wasn't fast enough. At least the gun is.


End file.
